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Category Archives: Snacks

I’m always searching for healthy snacks for my growing kids! Nothing with tons of sugar, but also something that is fun to eat and won’t ruin appetites for the next meal, oh, and budget friendly….. I don’t ask for very much do I?? So… I decided to use some items in my pantry to experiment with making my own granola bars! We ALL loved them- I was shocked- this experiment worked! Happy surprise!

Most granola bar ingredients call for honey as the “glue” that keeps the bars together. I have noticed that honey has the ability to make my little boy run around the house like a crazy little monkey! But, I still needed a sticky liquid. I decided to use a combination of agave nectar(a natural sugar that is slowly metabolized) and maple syrup (because it’s sticky and I love the taste) It was just the right amount of stickiness.

If you’ve never worked with Coconut Oil, you will quickly notice that it comes in solid form and needs to be melted down to use as an oil. In this recipe, I also needed to melt the peanut butter down, so, I added all of the liquid (or soon to be liquid) ingredients together and put them in the microwave until melted.

I had Agave Nectar in my pantry because I had grand plans of using it instead of sugar in my coffee when I was prego and then I stopped using sugar in my coffee all together- so now I can make lots of granola bars!!

I love the taste of maple syrup- especially the REAL stuff!! It’s more expensive, but tastes oh so much better than the artificial stuff!

As usual, I had a kitchen helper! Monkey Man helped me by eating a spoonful of peanut butter!

MMMM…… melted goodness! My mind immediately went to what else I could pour this yummy sauce on…. It’s good- very good!

Oats…. I had old fashioned oats on hand- so I used that. You could use anything your heart desires and I know some recipes call for Rice Crispies to add to the texture of their bars. You are the chef!

Pour your lovely melty mixture over your oats and stir to combine!

For this recipe you can use a 9×9 pan and get pretty thick bars or use a 9×13 pan and get thin bars. This time I made thick bars. Either way, I would highly recommend you line your dish with parchment or foil. You don’t need to oil your dish because the peanut butter has enough natural oil to make the bars non-stick.

I poured my “batter” into my dish and popped them in the fridge for about 2 hours. They were perfectly set up! I pulled the bars out of the dish, and peeled the foil away, and went to cutting. I made some big ones and some small ones!! So rich and so good.

My kids call them cookies and beg for them for dessert! I can’t wait to experiment with more mix-ins: raisins and nuts and pumpkin something! I hope your family loves these as much as mine did! Enjoy!

Prepare pan by lining 9x9 pan with foil. Combine coconut oil, peanut butter, maple syrup and agave nectar in a microwave safe dish. Microwave for one minute or until all ingredients are melted. Whisk to combine. Place oats in a large bowl. Pour liquid over oats. Pour into prepared 9x9 pan. Evenly distribute chocolate chips over the top! Push chips down slightly. Refrigerate until mixture is set. Cut into desired shape. Eat and Enjoy! Store bars in the refrigerator.

Notes

The possibilities are endless! Pick your favorite toppings and have fun!

I don’t know if I would call these two recipes salsas or sauces or what…. but, they are both yummy, not just with chips, but they compliment any meat dish very nicely! It also is a perfect way to use summers fresh bounty of fruit and veggies! Can’t wait for you to try these- if not now- then in the middle of winter when you need a little taste of summer! What we have today: Fresh Peach Salsa AND Black Bean Corn Salsa!

Fresh Peach Salsa

These were both made on a whim- so no step by step pics…. but they were both so good, I had to post! Enjoy!!

Fresh Peach Salsa

2014-09-02 09:28:37

A fresh sweet and spicy salsa perfect with chips or served with grilled chicken!

We have so many fun celebrations in May! Star Wars Day yesterday and Cinco de Mayo feast today! Lots of birthdays, graduations, mother’s day, end of school… for every event Glitter Girl requests this salsa! We are getting ready to grow a salsa garden to help with our salsa addiction!

When we have our weekly taco night, I usually make pico de gallo. Pico has a chunkier texture. Today, I made a traditional salsa that was perfect for our Fiesta! I used roma tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, purple onion, and jalapeno…. I love the festive colors!

I used the food processor to make the salsa making process go faster and its the best way to get that classic salsa consistency.

Yum! So pretty and fresh! Add salt and pepper to taste!

Homemade salsa and guac- ready to go!

I also made some Chicken Enchiladas…stay tuned for this fantastic recipe!

For dessert, I tried something new and it was a BIG hit! Yummy Cinnamon Cheesecake Sopapillas! Really good and easy! Can’t wait to share this recipe!

I love how food can help us celebrate and make learning fun…. How did you celebrate your Cinco de Mayo?

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss. This would have been your 110th birthday! A tribute to you from one of your own: “Happy Birthday To You”

I wish we could do what they do in Katroo. They sure know how to say “Happy Birthday to You!” In Katroo, every year, on the day you were born They start the day right bright early in the morn When the Birthday Honk-Honker hikes high up on Mt. Zorn and lets loose a big blast on the big Birthday Horn. And the voice of the horn calls out loud as it plays: “Wake Up For today is your Day of all Days!”

We are so excited for this day every year! Usually we have lots of laughs over our Green Eggs and Ham for Breakfast! This year we picked a different book to snack from! “Hop on Pop” is a new favorite in our house. We decided to make some POP-corn and give it a sweet twist with white chocolate and rainbow jimmies!

You can ABSOLUTELY use microwave popcorn for this recipe. I didn’t want to use a buttered popcorn, and this is how we pop the corn at our house so I went with it. This is the Stovetop Popcorn Popper we use. This amount of popcorn made 2 sheet pans of popcorn.

Add oil….

and your popcorn.

Then put the help to work poppin’ the corn!Pour your popcorn into a bowl and salt..

Meanwhile, Melt your white chocolate in a double boiler. You can use a microwave, but i prefer a double boiler to prevent the chocolate from seizing (burning and becoming chalky) Pour the your popcorn on a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn.Sprinkle with Rainbow Jimmies! You need to complete this step while the chocolate is still melty…So pretty!!

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss! I think even Mr. Knox would eat this creation!

Hop on Pop-Corn

2014-03-01 08:11:15

A sweet and salty treat that is perfect to snack on while reading your favorite Dr. Seuss book!